RWE Renewables has invested in a machine learning tool that aims to improve offshore wind vessel to turbine transfers and could save the industry £1m per installed GW every year.
Developed by UK company Cognitive Business, the tool enables accurate, localised assessment of safe conditions for vessel to turbine transfers at operational offshore wind farms.
The product has been further developed through the Waves (Wind Accessibility Verification for Enhanced Safety) project funded by the Offshore Wind Growth Partnership (OWGP).
Cognitive Business is developing the Waves technology as part of its advanced analytics software suite of Discovery.
The solution combines metocean data, with vessel tracking data, within an automated machine learning model to create a predictive tool that can be applied globally to any offshore wind farm.
Following a series of successful trials, RWE has now placed an order for Waves to support its ongoing drive for crew-safety.
Cognitive Business managing director Ty Burridge-Oakland said: “The problem is seriously complex, but it is faced daily by operational staff under immense pressure to deliver.
“The invaluable support from OWGP and RWE has provided the time and operational insights required to produce a solution that is beyond expectation.”
RWE Renewables offshore production manager James Vause said: “Making safe crew transfers is vital to our operational business.
“The Waves solution integrates powerful AI technology with our own operational data and has been shown to provide an improved transfer decision metric compared to the industry’s standard.
“We believe that Waves will enable us to better predict acceptable transfer windows, improving the safety of our technicians, and enabling us to optimise our O&M activities.”
OWGP programme director Andrew Macdonald said: “It’s really encouraging to see an innovative UK SME like Cognitive.Business achieve such early success with their Waves solution through their OWGP-funded project.
“It is a great example of the OWGP in action and a reflection of the industry’s commitments to developing and growing the UK’s innovative supply chain.”